MKT/UP Phase III Body:

The most unique GP39-2s constructed were those delivered to the MKT in 1983-1984. At this point, EMD had ceased production of the Dash-2 body styles, meaning that these geeps came with the larger GP50 style intakes and radiators. Featuring MKT specific options such as strobes and dual horns, the green & yellow engines lasted for their original owner only until 1988, when they became the property of Union Pacific. With not much more than a new coat of paint, they continued to give reliable service to their new owner for many years, and could be found working from Los Angeles to Denver and everywhere in between.

Delivered in 1977, ATSF 3669-3682 were the first Phase II GP39-2s constructed by EMD. The most prominent spotting feature of these units is the 3 foot long blank space behind the cab, due to the engine compartment being moved rearwards. They also featured the new 88" nose that came into use at this time. Standard Santa Fe roof equipment included an air conditioner, large antenna ground plane over the dust bin, and a Prime Stratolite beacon. The units could be found working secondary assignments on the eastern half of the Santa Fe until the mid 80s, at which time they began to wander west as part of almost any train, with almost any other type of power.

The D&H received all 20 of the Reading's GP39-2s when Conrail was formed in 1976. They continued to operate in patched green & yellow for several years, but many were subsequently repainted into D&H's attractive solid blue & yellow scheme. When mixed in with other EMD & ALCO models, they added a splash of variety to passing trains.

BN FEATURES:

White face scheme

Phase IIb GP39-2

88" nose, corrugated grills, Q fans, small exhaust silencer

Walkway with late step wells, front blunt anticlimber, rear drop step

Intake grilles with top and bottom ribs

Welded cab side panels with armrests

Early hinged BN battery box doors w/ single louver

Leslie RS3L air horn offset on cab right

Large and small firecracker antennas on cab

88" nose with ratchet brake

Pilot mounted MU receptacles

Front EMD low plow, Rear MU hose catch tray

Blomberg-M trucks

3600 gal fuel tank with alternate fuel gauge location

The Burlington Northern bought GP39-2s in 1981, and these engines proved to be the final nail in the coffin for the last remaining F-units on the system. The phase IIb units were similar to the Santa Fe engines above; the most obvious difference being the addition of Q fans and exhaust silencers. Other BN-specified options included large all-weather windows, latched battery box doors, and MU hose retainers on the rear pilots. In 1989, BN began repainting engines in the new "White Face" scheme, as depicted on BN 2702 & 2716. An American flag, as proudly depicted on BN 2716, was also applied to some units at this time-the railroad's way of showing support for the troops involved in Desert Storm.

With mergers come changes in operating practices, train routes, equipment, and often times -paint schemes. But, even today, it is possible to see relics of the past earning their keep while maintaining their former identities. BN 2702 & 2716, now under the flag of BNSF, continued to operate for their new owner looking much the same as they had before, with the exception of a spartan patch job. Only very recently have the units been repainted in the new Heritage III scheme. The Primed for Grime units will feature accurate patches and paint fading to replicate their in-service appearance.

BNSF FEATURES:

Same basic features as BN

Accurate paint patches & color to depict in service units

Front & rear operating ditch lights

Additional MU hoses & receptacles

BNSF 2716 features additional speed recorders, & relocated horn

LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:

Fully-assembled and ready-to-run

DCC-ready features Quick Plug plug-and-play technology with both 8- and 9-pin connector

Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more

Program a multiple unit (MU) lashup with lead unit only horn, bell, and lights

Many functions can be altered via Configuration Value (CV) changes

CV chart included

PRIMED FOR GRIME MODELS FEATURE:

Duplicated look and feel of "In Service" equipment;
"Tattered and Torn" just like the real thing

Faded base colors matched to the prototype

Patches applied and shaped per road number
matching each corresponding side to the prototype

Perfect starting point for adding grime and rust

PROTOTYPE INFO:

In the decade between 1974 and 1984 , EMD produced the GP39-2 for seven North American railroads. The basic design followed most four axle road diesel switchers for the time. Borrowing improvements from the
GP38-2 and GP40-2 designs, this mid-horsepower road switcher utilized a turbocharged 12-cylinder EMD 645E3 diesel engine for it's prime mover. With 4 fewer cylinders, the smaller engine provided a distinctive long hood on the phase II and phase III bodies, where the clean room/engine compartment doors were set back from the cab further than predecessor locomotives.

Sensitivity to fuel economy in the 1970s justified the GP39-2 in the locomotive market. It also laid the ground work for EMD to start exploring locomotive designs that utilize engines with larger piston displacement yet posess fewer cylinders. This approach has become the foundation to modern locomotive technology.